Japanese got another chance to ponder war and peace following the June 23 commemoration of those killed in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 -- this was the recollection of the battle for Saipan, now part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 61 years ago.
In a significant act of praying for peace and seeking reconciliation, the Emperor and Empress on Tuesday offered prayers before war-related memorials on the island, mourning for all those killed in the war irrespective of their nationality. The couple's heart is something the Japanese must share, especially when Japan has difficult times with neighboring countries over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the memorial to the nation's war dead, which served as a spiritual vehicle for war mobilization in the years of Japan's militarism.
It must be remembered that the Saipan visit in the year marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II -- also the Imperial couple's first trip abroad solely for the purpose of praying for the souls of those killed in the war -- was not the idea of government officials but the Imperial couple's. This reflects their strong wishes for peace and reconciliation.